Optimal playback speed: a curvilinear relationship between speed-watching and the effectiveness of brand placement

Despite the prevalence of speed-watching in digital media consumption, its impact on brand placement effectiveness remains empirically underexplored. Integrating information processing and media literacy theories, this study examines how accelerated playback speeds influence brand responses among TikTok’s youth demographic. Using a mixed-method design combining experimental and survey data, we identify an inverted U-shaped relationship between playback speed (both objective and perceived) and brand attitude, which is mediated by users’ perceived video informativeness. Furthermore, speed-watching frequency serves as a critical boundary condition: frequent speed-watchers exhibit a higher tolerance for accelerated pacing, effectively shifting the curve’s inflection point toward higher speeds. These findings extend brand placement literature by identifying speed-watching as an influential factor and offer strategic implications for advertisers optimizing placement design in high-velocity media environments.